In this episode of View from the Bus , Bob Rief chats with Krystal Gillis , Founder, and CEO of Tighties — a game-changing brand revolutionizing injury prevention and performance apparel. As a graduate of the SDSI Accelerator, Krystal shares her founder story, her journey of launching multiple businesses, and the importance of building a memorable brand. Hear her insights on entrepreneurship, overcoming obstacles, and creating products that truly make an impact. Don’t miss this inspiring convers...
Mar 11, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the latest episode of View from the Bus , Bob sits down with Neil Salyards, Senior Associate at Procopio Law and an expert in intellectual property. Neil specializes in trademark and copyright protection, helping businesses safeguard their brands from day one. Together, Bob and Neil break down why IP protection should be a top priority for new companies, sharing real-world stories of brand protection in action. Whether you're launching a startup or looking to strengthen your existing busi...
Feb 20, 2025•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the latest episode of the View from the Bus podcast, Bob chats with David Newman, Founder and CEO of RX Smart Gear. David’s entrepreneurial journey began when a friend dragged him to a CrossFit gym, where he quickly got hooked. Noticing the need for better jump ropes tailored to athletes, he launched RX Smart Gear—starting with custom ropes and growing into a full line of innovative fitness equipment. Hear David’s inspiring story in the full episode here! The Views from the Bus podcast is spo...
Aug 29, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the newest episode of View from the Bus, Bob chats with Sean Lake, CEO and Co-founder of BUBS Naturals. They delve into Sean's inspiration behind the brand, rooted in the legacy of his friend and decorated Navy SEAL Glen 'BUB' Doherty, along with BUBS' commitment to health and wellness. Listen to Sean's story and the incredible journey of BUBS Naturals' conception and mission to keep people healthier for longer.
Aug 06, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the latest episode of Views from the Bus, Bob interviews wave manufacturer and a pioneer in surfing Bruce McFarland owner of American Wave Machines. If you aren't familiar with American Wave Machine the San Diego company is a world leader in wave pool technology and their top of the line wave technology Perfectswell, is implemented in 5 wave pools around the world, with more to come. To listen in to their fascinating episode
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Views From The Bus , Bob Rief is joined once again by his good friend and legendary tech leader Guy Kawasaki . In a really odd twist of events, Bob is going to be the interviewee and Guy is going to be the interviewer. After the episode be sure to check out Guy's podcast Remarkable People ! It features guests like Garrett McNamara, Sean Thompson, Jane Goodall, Margaret Atwood and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Lastly, big thank you to the official sponsor of the Views from the...
Jan 13, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the latest episode of Views from the Bus, Bob talks with Kevin Tighe , CEO & Co-founder of Beachly . Beachly is a subscription brand rooted in beach, outdoor, and active lifestyles. They have also been named one of the top 500 fastest-growing brands in America for back-to-back years. We are also happy to announce Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP as the official sponsor of the Views from the Bus podcast. Procopio is one of our most essential members providing a full legal ser...
Dec 18, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode of Views From the Bus, Bob gets to something on the top of all business minds, Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Ron Hadler of Red Door Interactive ! Ron is the VP of innovation for Red Door Interactive, San Diego's best full service agency. And our topic today is all about the brain in front of the change that's coming with Gen AI. If you missed the previous presentation Ron did for our Ask the Expert series on Gen AI a few months ago, here's your second chanc...
Sep 20, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we meet Dana Rowley, a prominent figure in San Diego's business scene. Dana directs the SDSI Business Accelerator, which has help given rise to over 140 emerging brands in the city. If launching one brand is a challenge, imagine kickstarting 140 – a truly remarkable feat. This episode is tailor-made for young business founders standing at a crossroad. Whether you're try to figure out how to get to scale, you're faced with a major pivot, looking for help with strategy...
Aug 31, 2023•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to View From the Bus podcast brought to you by San Diego Sport innovators. In today's episode, we have a special interview with John Sarkisian , one of San Diego's most successful entrepreneurs, an investor interested in emerging companies and technologies.
Aug 17, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode of Views From the Bus, Bob sits down with Driftline's Co-founder, Wes Horbatuck . Driftline have a patented board shorts called Drifties, which have a specialized inner liner made out of wetsuit material, connected to a stylish outer boardshort shell. Listen in to hear Wes's story and journey with Driftline....
Jul 18, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode of Views From The Bus, we have a really amazing opportunity to interview Steven Morris . He is the author of a really great book called The Beautiful Business , which really is a must read for all CEOs. Steven is a true thought provocateur, a really good brand strategist, and business advisor. Listen in for a deep dive into the beauty of business!...
Feb 10, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode Bob talks with Cristobal Murillo , Co-founder and CEO of Selk'bag , who has implemented a very successful influencer marketing campaign to help get eyeballs on his unique wearable sleeping bags. Listen in to hear about his strategy to riding the viral wave of social media.
Jan 18, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a start of a new series of Views From The Bus, where Bob is shifting away from the historic founders to a much more current and scrappy set of founders. Many who have founded or birthed their businesses in these amazingly fast moving times, their insights are not historic, they're immediate, they're relevant, and they're actionable today In today's episode, we'll meet Isaac Howe , who co-founded Orucase with his brother and are a recent SDSI Accelerator graduate. They graduated from the ...
Dec 01, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special episode, Bob joins two of the best young CEOs in the sport and active lifestyle industry, Mandy Fry from Z Supply, and Jay Barton from ASRV, to discuss their approach to the new business reality.
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Views From The Bus podcast, Bob Rief is joined by Tradian Maier , Founder of EarPro . Many surfers and water sports participants have a common issue of Surfer’s ear, a condition that causes blockage of the ear canal. Tradian caught Bob’s attention when he applied to the SDSI Accelerator Group with a solution for Surfer's ear. Listen to Tradian and Bob discuss the importance of ear health and how SDSI teamed up with EarPro to launch their product successfully in the United ...
Sep 22, 2021•30 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Views From The Bus podcast, Bob Rief is joined by his friend Justin Gardner , CEO and Founder of BLDG Active Skin Repair . BLDG Active Skin Repair is 99% effective against all bacteria, including the complex bacteria that you find in the ocean. And here's the big news...it does not sting. BLDG Active uses the same molecule that your white blood cells produce and is able to replicate the same immune response that your body's creating to help fight off bacteria and help heal...
Jun 18, 2021•44 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Views From The Bus, Bob Rief is joined by his good friend and legendary tech leader Guy Kawasaki . The two talk about Guy’s love for surfing and how he picked the sport up at 60 years old. Guy now has a podcast called Remarkable People that has featured guests like Jane Goodall, Margaret Atwood, Arianna Huffington, Kristi Yamaguchi, and more!
May 20, 2021•49 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Joe Kudla , Founder of Vuori , a performance apparel brand with a nontraditional approach to activewear, joins the Views From the Bus Podcast. Vuori is inspired by the Encinitas and Southern California Lifestyle. Their mission is to create products that help people live extraordinary lives. In this episode, Joe shares how Vuori entered the market, and how they survived a few obstacles on the way....
Apr 22, 2021•43 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to legendary brands that reflect the San Diego lifestyle, there's not many better one than Sanuk . Jeff Kelley , Founder of Sanuk, joins Bob Rief in the Views From The Bus Podcast. In the 90s, Jeff started making sandals out of indoor-carpet and the spirit of innovation became the backbone of the brand. Jeff has a rare combination of creativity and a sense of humor....
Mar 25, 2021•30 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Views From The Bus podcast, Bob Rief is joined by Beaver and Pam Theodosakis, Founders of Prana . There aren't too many husband-wife successful entrepreneurs with successful marriages in this business, but Beaver and Pam are really the best examples of coming together and creating something that wasn't there before.
Feb 19, 2021•36 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Views From The Bus podcast, Bob Rief is joined by Tony Finn , the Founder of Liquid Force . Tony is one of the most disruptive and unique marketers and is virtually known by everybody in the global world of action sports. 20 years ago, Bob met the stranger Tony and he is certainly the best example of openness, friendliness, and positive energy of anybody he has ever known....
Feb 11, 2021•41 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Views From The Bus, Bob Mcknight , former CEO of Quiksilver joins Bob Rief. There has been no brand more legendary than Quiksilver and no founder more legendary than Bob, even though he’s probably going to deny that.
Feb 04, 2021•53 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Views From The Bus Podcast, Bob Rief talks with Steve Lake , the co-founder of Sector 9 , a truly legendary brand and a fundamental part of the San Diego lifestyle. Steve shares his background on how he started the brand, and also gives advice to young entrepreneurs who are looking to convert their passion into a business.
Jan 18, 2021•50 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
